SEYMOUR — The Seymour Police Department’s two crime-fighting canines will soon receive bullet and stab-proof vests to protect them as they continue to take a bite out of crime.

According to Deputy Police Chief Paul Satkowski, a charitable donation from the nonprofit organization, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., along with donations from Seymour Schools’ Director of Security Richard Kearns and resident Richard Kezelevich on behalf of Seymour seniors, made the dog vests possible.

The vest that K9 Rex, a 3-year-oldBelgian Malinois German Shepherd mix, will wear will be sponsored by Kearns, and be embroidered with the sentiment “Guided by Angels.” The vest that K9 Zoar, a 3-year-oldGerman Shepherd, will sport will be sponsored by Kezelevich and bear embroidery saying “Gifted by Seymour Senior Citizens.”

Satkowski expects the vests to be delivered within eight to 10 weeks.

“The Seymour Police Department is grateful to Vested Interest in K9s, Inc for providing this valuable piece of equipment to keep our canines safe in the performance of their duties,” Satkowski said.

Satkowski said Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., based in East Taunton, MA, was established in 2009 with a mission to provide potentially life-saving, bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. To date, he said the organization has provided more than 2,800 protective vests in all 50 states, through private and corporate donations totaling more than $2.4 million.

Satkowski said each vest can cost anywhere between $1,744 and $2,283. Anyone who’d like to make a tax-deductible donation to help outfit the country’s more than 30,000 crime-fighting canines can do so in any denomination atwww.vik9s.org.

Satkowski noted that Zoar, who is assigned to Officer John Oczkowski, Jr., came onboard in October 2016 and is certified in patrol, tracking and narcotics work. The duo have since made “several apprehensions of criminal suspects and are a valuable resource in the fight against the opioid epidemic,” according to Satkowski.

K9 Rex, assigned to Officer Matthew Butler, is certified in patrol, tracking and narcotics and began work here in February 2016. Satkowski said Butler and Rex have also made “several apprehensions of criminal suspects and as a K9 team they continue to be proactive on the front line in the fight against illegal narcotics distribution.”